Land Clearing Blade For A Machine

ABSTRACT

A clearing blade adapted to be attached to a machine. The clearing blade includes a moldboard having a curved structure, a pair of stingers extending forwardly of the moldboard and arranged in a spaced apart arrangement from opposing lateral ends of the clearing blade. Each stinger includes a penetration portion adapted to penetrate and form a vertical cut. The clearing blade further includes a center blade arranged centrally to the moldboard, and an angled side blade extending inwardly from each of the pair of stingers towards the center blade. Each angled side blade is arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the center blade. Moreover, the clearing blade includes a plurality of attachment members such as, for example, a plurality of trunnion balls for engaging the clearing blade with the machine.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/233,356 filed Aug. 16, 2021, and entitled “Land Clearing Blade For AMachine,” the content of which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to land clearing blades. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to a land clearing bladeadapted to be mounted to a machine for clearing trees, stumps, and othervegetative matter from an area of land.

BACKGROUND

Bulldozers, tractors, and other similar track-type tractors, dozers, andsimilar machines that are equipped with blades are used for a great manydifferent purposes, including clearing a worksite of vegetativematerials such as trees and stumps and pushing or repositioning loosematerial such as dirt and rocks about a worksite. These activities areindispensable to forestry, waste handling, building construction, andlight to medium civil engineering. In many of these cases, a machineequipped with a heavy-duty blade, often called a “cutting blade”, isdriven across, and through a worksite, such as a hill or wooded area,such that a cutting edge of the heavy-duty cutting blade penetratesdownward and forward through the vegetative or other loose material atthe worksite.

There are two primary types of land-clearing cutting blades that are incommon use. The first is the “Hammond Blade” or “KG Blade”, which isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,108. With reference to FIG. 1 , thereis shown an example of a machine 100, depicted as a tracked dozer inthis case, equipped a blade 102 in the style of the Hammond Blade. Asshown, this particular blade 102 provides center blade 104 that isangled forwards of a first side 106 of the blade to provide a leadingprong 108 that is longer and extends outwards further than the opposingsecond side 110 of the blade. The blade 102 itself provides an inwardlycurved leading edge 112 that extends between the first side 106 and thesecond side 110. Additionally, a single side-mounted stinger 124sometimes extends forwards from the leading prong 108 on the first side106 of the blade 102. Stinger 124 is intended to pierce and then splitmaterial, such as vegetative material (e.g., trees), located theworksite.

With continued reference to FIG. 1 and with further reference to FIG. 2, machine 100 is configured to travel generally forward in a traveldirection F. When the machine 100 is in use, it travels generallyforward in a first travel direction F1 and vegetation, soil, rock, etc.are cut and gathered by the blade 102 into piles of cut material M. Asthe machine 100 continues moving forward in first travel direction F1,the collected materials M are gathered in front of are then conveyed bythe blade 102 from the first side 106 to the opposite second side 110.This cutting, gathering, conveying, and depositing process of material Mis sometimes called windrowing. The collected materials M are depositedin piles located along the second side 110 of the machine 100 as themachine travels in first travel direction F1. It may be appreciatedthat, due to the construction of the blade 102, in order to ensure thatmaterial M, such as trees, are cut and felled in the same direction, themachine can only make cutting passes (i.e., where material is cut withthe blade 102) when traveling in the first direction F1 (i.e.,right-to-left, as shown in FIG. 2 ). It must then make a non-cuttingpass (i.e., where material is not cut) while traveling in a secondtravel direction F2 (i.e., from left-to-right in FIG. 2 ). In FIG. 2 ,cutting passes are depicted by solid arrows, whereas non-cutting passesare depicted by dashed arrows. Ensuring that materials fall in the samedirection is particularly important when the machine 100 is working on ahill, where cut trees and other materials are typically felled downhill.Making the non-cutting pass in the second travel direction F2 to returnthe machine to the starting side of the hill is inefficient.

A second common type of land-clearing or cutting blade is a V-type orV-shear blade, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,784. Withreference to FIG. 3 , a V-type blade 116 is shown, which blade isprovided with a pair of concave blades 118 that are joined together atan angle and that meet at a vertex 120 located at the center of theblade. A blade edge 122 provided at the bottom end of each of theconcave blades 118 is used to shear vegetative materials. Next, as withthe Hammond blade 102 discussed previously, the V-type blade 116 may beprovided with a single stinger 124 that extends forwardly from thevertex 120 and is intended to pierce and then split material, such asvegetative material (e.g., trees), located the worksite. As discussed inthe ′784 patent, a primary purpose of the V-type blade 116 is tosimplify the process of controlling the direction that cut trees arefelled. The trees are first cut by the blade edge 122 and are thenguided away from machine by the blades 118. However, due to thediverging blade 118, use of the V-type blade 116 results in separatepiles of cut material located on each side of the machine instead of asingle collected pile of cut material. These separate piles of materialcan make the cleanup and disposal of that material more difficult.

In each of the above-described blades, transport of the blade andaccompanying machine are difficult due to the large overall dimensionsand weight of the blades. In many cases, it is not possible to transporta machine having the blade attached. For that reason, it is necessary toattach the blade to the machine at the worksite before work can beginand then detach the blade from the machine after the work has beencompleted and before the machine can be removed from the worksite.

These and other issues have resulted in a decline in the use of clearingblades, where cut material is sheared off, compared to other landclearing methods, where entire stumps and root balls are extracted andremoved. For example, hydraulic excavators with thumbs have become acommonly-used tool used in clearing land. However, while there arecertain advantages associated with the use of these latter methods, amajor disadvantage is that they cause substantially more disturbance tothe land and remove a much larger amount of the desired topsoil comparedto clearing blades. Topsoil is an important but declining resource thatis expensive to replace. The use of land clearing blades allows more ofthe top soil to be left in place for many applications.

A second disadvantage of more modern land clearing methods is thatremoving large amounts of topsoil with the vegetative materials makesthe destruction or recycle of that vegetative material difficult. Forexample, in many remote areas, after an area has been cleared of trees,the remaining cut material is gathered into piles and then destroyedusing air curtain destructors, trench burning, and other incendiarymethods. However, when the vegetative materials include large amounts oftopsoil, the burning process is difficult and the resulting smoke ismore laden with non-combustible particulate matter. The combustion of“cleaner” vegetative material (i.e., with less soil and othernon-combustible material included) results in a cleaner and fasterremoval process.

Accordingly, what is needed is a land-clearing blade that permitscutting passes in any direction of travel; that bundles cut materialinto a single pile; that is small enough to be easily transported whilemounted to the working machine (e.g., the dozer); that is configured tomount to modern working machines having push arms, power tilt cylinders,and trunnion mounts; and provides cleaner resulting cut vegetativematerial with less topsoil and non-combustible materials.

Notes on Construction

The use of the terms “a”, “an”, “the” and similar terms in the contextof describing embodiments or implementations of the invention are to beconstrued to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwiseindicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms“comprising”, “having”, “including” and “containing” are to be construedas open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”)unless otherwise noted. The terms “substantially”, “generally” and otherwords of degree are relative modifiers intended to indicate permissiblevariation from the characteristic so modified. The use of such terms indescribing a physical or functional characteristic of the invention isnot intended to limit such characteristic to the absolute value whichthe term modifies, but rather to provide an approximation of the valueof such physical or functional characteristic.

Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “attached”,“connected” and “interconnected”, refer to a relationship whereinstructures are secured or attached to one another either directly orindirectly through intervening structures, as well as both moveable andrigid attachments or relationships, unless otherwise specified herein orclearly indicated as having a different relationship by context. Theterm “operatively connected” is such an attachment, coupling orconnection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intendedby virtue of that relationship.

The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”and “preferably”) herein is intended merely to better illuminate theinvention and the preferred embodiments or implementations thereof, andnot to place a limitation on the scope of the invention. Nothing in thespecification should be construed as indicating any element as essentialto the practice of the invention unless so stated with specificity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and other problems are addressed by a clearing blade adaptedto be attached to a machine. The clearing blade includes a moldboardhaving a curved structure, a pair of stingers extending forwardly of themoldboard and arranged in a spaced apart arrangement from opposinglateral ends of the clearing blade. Each stinger includes a penetrationportion adapted to penetrate and form a vertical cut inside ofvegetation. The clearing blade further includes a center blade arrangedcentrally to the moldboard, and an angled blade extending inwardly fromeach of the pair of stingers towards the center blade. Each angled bladeis arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and is arranged at anobtuse angle relative to the center blade. Moreover, the clearing bladeincludes a plurality of attachment members such as, for example, aplurality of trunnion balls for engaging the clearing blade with themachine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further advantages of the invention are apparent by reference to thedetailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures,which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, whereinlike reference numerals represent like elements throughout the severalviews, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an overhead view depicting a conventional Hammond-type landclearing blade mounted to a tracked dozer;

FIG. 2 is an overhead view depicting the Hammond-type land clearingblade and dozer of FIG. 1 in use to clear an area of land to providewindrow cut material piles;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view depicting a conventional V-type landclearing blade;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are front and rear perspective view of a land-clearingblade according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an overhead view depicting the land-clearing blade of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7A is a right-side elevation view depicting the land-clearing bladeof FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7B is a detail view of a circled portion of a stinger shown in FIG.7A and identified as “FIG. 7B”; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are front and rear perspective views, respectively, of aland-clearing blade according to an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are front and rear elevation views, respectively, of theland-clearing blade of FIG. 8 ;

FIG. 12 is an overhead view of the land-clearing blade of FIG. 8 ;

FIG. 13 is a right-side elevation view depicting the land-clearing bladeof FIG. 8 ;

FIG. 14 is an overhead view of the land-clearing blade of FIG. 8 mountedto a tracked dozer;

FIG. 15 is a side elevation view depicting the land-clearing blade andtracked dozer of FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 16 is an overhead view depicting the land-clearing blade andtracked dozer of FIG. 14 in use to clear an area of land to providebundled cut material piles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference charactersdesignate like or corresponding characters throughout the several views,there is shown in FIGS. 4-7B a land-clearing blade assembly 200according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The blade assembly 200 includes a box-frame body 202 having a rolledmoldboard providing a front surface 204. The body 202 further includes arear surface 206 that is opposite the front surface 204, an upper end208, an opposing lower end 210, a first lateral end 212 and an opposingsecond lateral end 214. A center blade 216 is preferably positioned atthe lower end 210 of the body 202 and extends forwardly away from thefront surface 204. A straight cutting edge 218 is provided at theleading edge of the center blade 216 and extends laterally across aportion of the body 202 and is parallel with the front surface 204 ofthe body 202. Preferably, center blade 216 is oriented horizontally(when blade assembly is viewed from a front elevation view).

Additionally, separate angled side blades 220 are also preferably joinedto opposing lateral edges 222 of the center blade 216 such that anangled blade is located on each lateral side of center blade. Like thecenter blade 216, each of the angled side blades 220 is preferablypositioned at the lower end 210 of the body 202 and extends forwardlyaway from the front surface 204 of the body 202. A straight cutting edge224 is also provided at the leading edge of each the angled side blades220. Cutting edges 224 of the angled side blades 220 also extendlaterally across a portion of the body 202. Preferably, cutting edge 224is also oriented horizontally (when blade assembly is viewed from afront elevation view). However, unlike cutting edge 218, cutting edges224 are not parallel with the front surface 204 of the body 202.Instead, cutting edges 224 are preferably oriented at an angle withrespect to the front surface 204 of the body 202, such that an angle Θof approximately 20-40° is formed between travel direction F and thefront of cutting edge 224. Put differently, a complementary angle equalto 90 degrees minus 0 is formed between the front surface 204 of thebody 202 and the front of cutting edge 224. In the illustratedembodiment, angle Θ is approximately 30° for each of the angled sideblades 220.

In use, the center blade 216 is configured to cut smaller materials. Forexample, in certain embodiments, blade assembly 200 may be configured tocut materials having diameters in the range of 2-4 inches. Of course,the size of materials that may be cut will depend on the machine andconfiguration selected, such that materials with larger or smallerdiameters may be processed. On the other hand, the angle Θ of angledside blades 220 has been shown in practice to be effective for cuttingcut material, including larger diameter. For example, in certainembodiments, blade assembly 200 may be configured to cut materialshaving diameters in the range of 3+ inches. Again, the size of materialsthat may be cut will depend on the machine and configuration selected,such that materials with larger or smaller diameters may be processed.In use, as the blade assembly 200 is moved forward in direction F, thecenter blade 216 and angled side blades 220 may be positioned just lowand just above the ground surface and level with respect to the groundsurface in order to cut smaller vegetation at ground level.Advantageously, the presence and usage of the pair of angled side blades220, including one such angled blade located at each lateral end of thebody 202, cut material is cut and then directed via a funneling actionby the angled blades towards the center blade 216, where it is bundledtogether to form a single row of cut material. Additionally, any cutmaterial that is not fully cut by the cutting edge 224 of the angledside blades 220 is preferably subsequently brought into contact with thecutting edge 218 of the center blade 216 to be fully cut.

In certain embodiments, the blade assembly 200 further includesside-mounted plates 226 mounted adjacent each of the lateral ends 212,214 of the body 202. Plates 226 preferably extend from upper end 208 toopposing lower end 210 and also extend forwardly from front surface 204of body 202. As such, plates 226 partially enclose a space directly infront of the front surface 204 of the body 202, which facilitates thegathering or bundling of cut material discussed above and assists inkeeping cut material located in front of the front surface and assistsin preventing cut material from traveling around the lateral ends 212,214 of the body. In certain embodiments, a forward edge 228 of theside-mounted plates 226 is sharpened in order to provide yet anothercutting edge for cutting cut material. Preferably, forward edge 228 isoriented vertically (when blade assembly is viewed from a frontelevation view) and, therefore, orthogonal to center blade 216. Further,as in FIG. 4 , the forward edge 228 preferably curves downward in alongitudinal direction away from the front surface 204 of the moldboardand towards the sharpened piercing tip 234 of the stinger 230.

In certain embodiments, the blade assembly 200 further includespenetrating stingers 230 are attached to the body 202 at each of thefirst and second lateral ends 212, 214. Preferably, the stingers 230 areformed as an additional forward extension of the side-mounted plates226. Each of the stingers 230 extends forwardly in a longitudinaldirection away from the front surface 204 of the body 202. Preferably,the stingers 230 extend outwards from the bottom of the blade assembly200. Each stinger 230 includes an arm portion 232 that is mounted to theplates 226. Each of the stingers 230 terminates with a sharpenedpiercing tip 234 that may be used to penetrate cut material, such astree trunks, and for progressive cutting of very large trees and stumps.In certain embodiments, including the illustrated embodiment, thepiercing tip 234 is angled rearwards. For example, in the illustratedembodiment, an angle α is formed between the bottom surface 236 of thestinger 230 and a leading end 238 of the piercing tip 234. In theillustrated embodiment, angle α is approximately 60°. However, angle αmay be varied in order to make the stinger 230 produce more of achopping or slicing result, when angle α is greater, or more of apiercing result, angle α is more shallow. In preferred embodiments,angle α may range from approximately 20° to approximately 90°. Dashedlines in FIG. 7B illustrate an alternative piercing tip where angle α isequal to 90°.

The cutting edge 218 of center blade 216, the cutting edges 224 of eachof the angled side blades 220, and the piercing tip 234 of each of thestingers 230 are designed with a sharpened knife edge to form thecutting or piercing edge and represent the major working surfaces of theblade assembly 200. As such, the edges 218, 224 and piercing tip 234 areformed from a hardened steel and are configured to be easily andrepeatedly sharpened. For example, the cutting edges 218, 224 may beformed using a single bevel, double (i.e., a “V”) bevel, or compoundbevel edge. In certain embodiments, the cutting edge 218 of the centerblade 216 is connected continuously with the cutting edges 224 of eachof the angled side blades 220 in order to form a continuous cutting edgealong the front of the entire lateral length of the center and angledblades.

In preferred embodiments, the blade assembly 200 includes a pusher bar240 positioned above the upper end 208 of the body 202. The pusher bar240 may be connected to the upper end 208 of the body 202 via aplurality of angled supports 242. The pusher bar 240 may be used toassist in pushing over cut material, such as trees and shrubs, which arenot broken up by the stingers 230 or center blade 216. The angledsupports 242 are configured such that the pusher bar 240 is positionedabove and in front of the forward edge 228 of the side-mounted plates226. In certain embodiments, the angled supports 242 are oriented at anangle β that is between 30° and 70°, taken with respect to an axis 244that is parallel with travel direction F. In the illustrated example,angle β is approximately 60°. In certain embodiments, one or more pusherplates 246 extend partially and entirely between the upper end 208 ofthe body 202 and the pusher bar 240. In the illustrated embodiment, asingle pusher plate 246 is centrally-mounted to the blade assembly 200between a middle pair of angled supports 242. The pusher plate 246provides rigidity to the pusher bar 240 and further assists in pushingover cut material.

Preferably, blade assembly 200 is smaller and lighter than conventionalland clearing blades. As shown best in FIGS. 5 and 6 , mounts 248extending rearwards from the rear surface 206 of the body 202 preferablyenable the blade assembly 200 to be mounted to a machine, such as adozer or track-type tractor machine without the need for heavyspecialize mounts or reinforcing means. Additionally, the smalleroverall size of blade assembly 200 preferably enables the blade assemblyto be mounted to the machine during transportation to and from theworksite. It should be understood that the precise type and mountinglocation of mounts 248 may change depending on the type of machine.However, preferably, blade assembly 200 is small enough that a C-framemount and the like, which is exceedingly heavy, is not necessary. Forexample, in certain embodiments, including the illustrated embodiment,mounts 248 may include trunnion balls and receivers that are fixedlyattached to the body 202.

With reference to FIGS. 8-13 , there is shown a blade assembly 300according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Bladeassembly 300 is, in large part, structurally and functionally similar toblade assembly 200. In particular, blade assembly 300 includes abox-frame body 302 having a rolled moldboard providing a front surface304. The body 302 further includes a rear surface 306 that is oppositethe front surface 304, an upper end 308, an opposing lower end 310, afirst lateral end 312 and an opposing second lateral end 314. A centerblade 316 is preferably positioned at the lower end 310 of the body 302and extends forwardly away from the front surface .304. A straightcutting edge 318 is provided at the leading edge of the center blade 316and extends laterally across a portion of the body 302 and is parallelwith the front surface 304 of the body 302. Separate angled blades 320are also preferably joined to opposing lateral edges 322 of the centerblade 216 at the lower end 310 of the body 302 and extend forwardly awayfrom the front surface 304 of the body 302. A straight cutting edge 324is also provided at the leading edge of each the angled blades 320.Side-mounted plates 326 are mounted adjacent each of the lateral ends312, 314 of the body 302. Lastly, penetrating stingers 330 are attachedto the body 302 at each of the first and second lateral ends 312, 314.However, unlike blade assembly 200, blade assembly 300 is provided witha vertically-oriented a pusher bar 332 that is positioned above theupper end 308 of a body 302. The pusher bar 332 may be connected to theupper end 308 of the body 302 via a plurality of vertical and/or crosssupports 334. The pusher bar 332 may be used to assist in pushing overcut material, such as trees and shrubs. However, a primary function ofpusher bar 332 will be to deflect debris and cut material forwards andaway from the blade assembly 300 and the machine to which it is mounted.

With reference now FIGS. 14 and 15 , blade assembly 300 is also providedwith a plurality of mounts 336 that are configured to mount bladeassembly a wide range of earth-moving machines, modern dozers, etc.,including tracked dozer 338, which have push arms and power tiltcylinders, such that the blade assembly of the present invention to beused interchangeably with other blades, rakes, and other earth-workingimplements. This type of mounting would enable, for example, the bladeassembly 300 to be tilted or “favor” during operation such that a singlestinger 330 is located near the ground surface while the other stingeris raised away from the ground surface. In certain embodiments, bladeassembly 300 has a width, measured from side-mounted plates 326 toside-mounted plate, which is narrower than the width W of the machine338 to which it is mounted in order to provide the ease of transport andease of mounting benefits discussed above.

Blade assembly 300 is configured to cut and remove cut material,including on a hillside, when traveling in any direction. Additionally,when blade assembly 300 is in use, either stinger 330 may be used in theremoval of cut material. The stingers 330 are a primary wear componentfor the blade assembly 300 that require periodic replacement andsharpening. Providing a pair of stingers 330 reduces the wear on eachstinger 330 and extends their useful life and the maintenance interval,which improves “up” time for the blade assembly 300. In use, thestingers 330 are configured to be driven into a tree or stump. As thestinger 330 passes into the cut material, a piercing tip 340 makes afirst vertical cut in the material which preferably holds the bladeassembly 200 in place at a specific horizontal position within thematerial (i.e., the blade assembly is prevented from moving laterally).As the blade assembly 300 continues forward in travel direction F, thestinger 330 continues to cut/tear the cut material. Eventually, one ormore of the angled blades 320 is forced into the cut material and makesa second and subsequent cut that is oriented horizontally (i.e.,perpendicular to the first cut) in the cut material. Eventually, as theblade assembly 300 continues traveling forward in the travel directionF, the first and second cuts exsect a portion of the cut material (i.e.,the tree or stump). The blade assembly 300 may be reversed and then theabove-described process repeated in order to remove additional portionsof the cut material. For example, in the case of a large tree stump, theprocess might be repeated multiple times in order to progress laterallyacross or vertically downward through the cut material.

With reference again to FIG. 12 and with further reference to FIG. 16 ,another advantage of blade assemblies 200, 300 of the present inventionover the conventional land clearing blades discussed above is thatcutting passes can be made in any travel direction. As the machine towhich the blade assemblies 200, 300 are mounted (e.g., dozer 338) movesforward in travel direction F, materials are cut either by the centerblade 316, angled blades 320 and side-mounted plates 326. As discussedabove, this might require the machine to back up and then drive forwardagain in order to make repeated cuts or strikes while traveling ingeneral travel direction F. However, these blade assemblies 200, 300avoid the need of wasteful and inefficient non-cutting passes (F2, shownin FIG. 2 ) discussed earlier. Once the materials are cut, they are thengathered together to form piles of cut material M that are later pickedup and moved elsewhere.

Although this description contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providingillustrations of some of the presently preferred implementationsthereof, as well as the best mode contemplated by the inventor ofcarrying out the invention. The invention, as described herein, issusceptible to various modifications and adaptations as would beappreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art to which theinvention relates.

What is claimed is:
 1. A blade assembly configured to be mounted to amachine for use in cutting, moving and clearing cut matter from an areaof land when the machine moves in a travel direction F, the bladeassembly comprising: a body having: a moldboard providing a frontsurface; a rear surface that is opposite the front surface; an upperend; an opposing lower end; a first lateral end; and an opposing secondlateral end a center blade positioned at the lower end of the body andextending forwardly away from the front surface; a cutting edge providedat a leading edge of the center blade, wherein the cutting edge extendslaterally across and parallel with at least a portion of the frontsurface of the body; and mounts for enabling the blade assembly to bemounted to the machine.
 2. The blade assembly of claim 1 furthercomprising at least one penetrating stinger attached to one of thelateral ends of the body, wherein the at least one penetrating stingerextends forwardly in a longitudinal direction away from the frontsurface of the body and terminates with a sharpened piercing tipconfigured to penetrate cut material.
 3. The blade assembly of claim 2further comprising a side mounted plate disposed on the one lateral endof the body, wherein the at least one penetrating stinger is formed asan extension of the side mounted plate.
 4. The blade assembly of claim 3further comprising a sharpened forward edge formed at a front end of theside mounted plate.
 5. The blade assembly of claim 4 wherein thesharpened forward edge curves downwards in the longitudinal directionaway from the front surface of the moldboard and towards the sharpenedpiercing tip of the at least one penetrating stinger.
 6. The bladeassembly of claim 3 further comprising: an angled side blade joined to alateral edge of the center blade such that the angled side blade islocated on a lateral side of the center blade, wherein the angled sideblade is positioned at the lower end of the body and extends forwardlyaway from the front surface of the moldboard; a cutting edge provided ata leading edge of the angled side blade that is angled with respect tothe cutting edge of the center blade.
 7. The blade assembly of claim 6wherein the cutting edge of the angled side blade abuts the cutting edgeof the center blade to form a combined cutting edge.
 8. The bladeassembly of claim 2: wherein the sharpened piercing tip is provided on aleading end of the at least one penetrating stinger; wherein the atleast one stinger includes a bottom surface; and wherein the leading endis angled with respect to the bottom surface of the at least one stingersuch that the piercing tip is angled rearwards.
 9. The blade assembly ofclaim 1 further comprising a penetrating stinger attached to each of thelateral ends of the body, wherein each penetrating stinger extendsforwardly in a longitudinal direction away from the front surface of thebody and terminates with a sharpened piercing tip configured topenetrate cut material.
 10. The blade assembly of claim 9 furthercomprising a side mounted plate disposed at each of the lateral ends ofthe body, wherein each penetrating stinger is formed as an extension ofone of the side mounted plates.
 11. The blade assembly of claim 10further comprising a sharpened forward edge formed at a front end ofeach of the side mounted plates.
 12. The blade assembly of claim 11wherein the sharpened forward edge of each of the side mounted platescurves downwards in the longitudinal direction away from the frontsurface of the moldboard and towards the sharpened piercing tip of thepenetrating stinger.
 13. The blade assembly of claim 10 furthercomprising: a separate angled side blade joined to each opposing lateraledge of the center blade such that the angled side blades are located onopposing lateral ends of the center blade, wherein the angled sideblades are each positioned at the lower end of the body and extendforwardly away from the front surface of the moldboard; a cutting edgeprovided at a leading edge of each of the angled side blades, whereineach cutting edge is angled with respect to the cutting edge of thecenter blade.
 14. The blade assembly of claim 13 wherein the cuttingedge of each of the angled side blades abuts the cutting edge of thecenter blade to form a combined cutting edge.
 15. The blade assembly ofclaim 1 further comprising a pusher bar connected to the upper end ofthe body via a plurality of supports mounted between the body and thepusher bar, wherein the pusher bar is configured to contact cut materiallocated above the upper end of the body.
 16. The blade assembly of claim15 wherein the plurality of supports position the pusher bar verticallyabove the body and at least partially in front of the front surface ofthe moldboard.
 17. The blade assembly of claim 15 further comprising apusher plate located above the body and connecting the pusher bar to thebody.
 18. A land-clearing machine and blade combination comprising: aland-clearing machine having a pair of independently operable mountingmembers, each mounting member configured to removably mount to a portionof a blade assembly disposed at an end of the land-clearing machine andto manipulate a position and orientation of the blade assembly; a bladeassembly configured to be removably mounted to the land-clearing machineand configured for use in cutting, moving and clearing cut matter froman area of land when the land-clearing machine moves in a traveldirection F, the blade assembly comprising: a body having: a moldboardproviding a front surface; a rear surface that is opposite the frontsurface; an upper end; an opposing lower end; a first lateral end; andan opposing second lateral end a center blade positioned at the lowerend of the body and extending forwardly away from the front surface; acutting edge provided at a leading edge of the center blade, wherein thecutting edge extends laterally across and parallel with at least aportion of the front surface of the body; a pair of mounts disposed onthe body, wherein each mount is removably mounted to one of the pair ofindependently operable mounting members of the land-clearing machine apenetrating stinger attached to each of the lateral ends of the body,wherein each penetrating stinger extends forwardly in a longitudinaldirection away from the front surface of the body and terminates with asharpened piercing tip configured to penetrate cut material.
 19. Thecombination of claim 18 wherein the independently operable mountingmembers of the land-clearing machine are push arms or power tiltcylinders.
 20. The combination of claim 18 wherein the independentlyoperable mounting members of the land-clearing machine are configured toallow the land-clearing machine to travel and the blade assembly to cut,move and clear cut material while the blade assembly is tilted such thatone of the stingers is located at a first elevation while the otherstinger is located at a second and different elevation.